"The spiritual master is life, but he is also death. The master
represents the end of the ego. The psychological selves inhabiting us
know this, and they fear our approaching the master. All that is alive
wants to continue living, even the lower self. This is why we often find
resistance along the path of surrender and trust. These selves feed on
thoughts, bad habits and addictions. Over time, they acquire an
intelligence of their own and begin to act as entities. They do
everything they can to continue living: they invent stories, create
difficulties, criticize and disagree with others. This ends up blinding
our perception and closing us off to spiritual sight."

Practice makes extraordinary demands
of us. It requires that we take nothing for granted, that we accept
nothing on faith alone. If we practice with diligence and honesty, then
we must question everything about ourselves; we must challenge our most
basic beliefs and convictions, even those we may have about the dharma
itself.